George Dyer
George Dyer (15 March 1755 - 2 March 1841) was an English poet and a prolific writer. Life Dyer was born in London, the son of a shipwright.Robin Jarvis, "Poetry in Motion: George Dyer's pedestrian tour", The Wordsworth Circle 29:3 (Summer 1998), 142. JStor, Web, June 9, 2016. He was educated at Christ's Hospital, and then attended Emmanuel College, Cambridge, earning a B.A. in 1778.George Dyer (1755-1841), English Poetry, 1579-1830, Center for Applied Technologies in the Humanities, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Web, June 9, 2016. He edited the Delphin Classics, a 143-volume set of Greek and Latin works published by Abraham John Valpy at which task his editorial labors were so excessive as to induce near total blindness. He also wrote poetry, and authored a number of tracts on the plight of England's poor and on reform of the political system. Radicalism He shared many ideas with radical writers of the time. His doctrine of benevolence advised a moral obligation to the poor, during a time when the interest in the lower classes was subsiding. He had an impact on authors such as William Godwin, but also gave critical and moral support to Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth. Nicholas Roe's chapter on Dyer in The politics of nature: Wordsworth and some contemporaries shows Dyer to have been an important model for Wordsworth and Coleridge in the way he brought politics to bear on the poetry of nature and imagination. Dyer's influence represents, for Roe, the answer to current historians who believe that the Romantics turned their backs on history in their search for a transcendent nature. The poet thus seems to have revenged himself on claims of insignificance. Anecdotes There are a number of stories associated with Dyer, particularly regarding his myopia and his eccentricities. These stories were told by his friends Leigh Hunt and Charles Lamb. Lamb, in his Elia essay Amicus Redivivus, relates an incident in which Dyer, after a visit to the Lamb household in Islington, walked the wrong way on the pathway and went right into the New River, nearly drowning himself in the process. Hunt tells a similarly story regarding Dyer, in which, after spending the evening at the Hunt's for dinner, he inadvertently left with only one shoe. Apparently Dyer's missing shoe went unnoticed by him until he arrived home and he returned to the Hunt household after midnight, awakening everyone, to retrieve his missing shoe, which was finally located under a table. Another incident relating to Dyer concerns a preface which he wrote for his Poems published in 1802. On rereading one of the first prints of his book, Dyer claimed that there was a significant error in reasoning contained on the first page of the preface. He rushed to the printer and had a number of prints redone at considerable expense.Hunt's Autobiography, the Essays of Elia, the Letters of Charles and Mary Lamb, and The Life of Charles Lamb by E.V. Lucas. Publications Poetry * Poems: Consisting of odes and elegies. London: J. Johnson, 1792. *''The Poet's Fate: A poetical dialogue. London: G.G. & J. Robinson / J. Johnson / J. Debrett, 1797. *Poems. London: privately published, 1801.Poems / George Dyer, Hathi Trust. Web, June 9, 2016. *Poems. (2 volumes), London: Longman & Rees, 1802.Poems, Internet Archive. Web, June 9, 2016. ''Volume II Non-fiction *''An Inquiry into the Nature of Subscription to the 39 Articles. London?: privately published, 1790; London: J. Johnson, 1792.1789. * ''The Complaints of the Poor People of England. London: J. Ridgeway / H.D. Symonds, 1793. *''Slavery and Famine, Punishments for Sedition; or, An account of the miseries and starvation at Botany Bay''. London: J. Ridgway, 1794. *''A Dissertation on the Theory and Practice of Benevolence. London: Kearsley, 1795. *Memoirs of the Life and writings of Robert Robinson, Late Minister of the Dissenting Congregation, in Saint Andrew's Parish, Cambridge.London: G.G. & J. Robinson, 1796. *''An Address to the People of Great Britain: On the doctrine of libels and the office of jurors. London: privately published, 1799. *''Four Letters on the English Constitution. London: J. Johnson, 1812; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, & Brown, 1817. *''History of the University and Colleges of Cambridge. (2 volumes), London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, & Brown, 1814. Volume I, Volume II *''The Privileges of the University of Cambridge''. (2 volumes), London: Longman, 1824. Volume I, Volume II *''Academic Unity: Being the substance of a general dissertation contained in 'The Privileges of the University of Cambridge'. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown & Green, 1827. Collected editions *''Poems and Critical Essays. 1802. *''Poetics; or, A series of poems and disquisitions on poetry. (2 volumes), London: J. Johnson, 1812. Anthologized *''Odes, by George Dyer, M. Robinson, A.L. Barbauld, J. Ogilvie, &c. &c. & c.. Ludlow, Shropshire, UK: G. Nicholson, 1800. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:George Dyer, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, June 9, 2016. References * Notes External links ;Poems *George Dyer (1755-1841) info & 14 poems at English Poetry, 1579-1830 *George Dyer at PoemHunter (17 poems) *George Dyer at Poetry Nook (71 poems) ;About *Dyer, George at eNotes *Dyer, George in the Dictionary of National Biography Category:English poets Category:English non-fiction writers Category:1755 births Category:1841 deaths Category:People educated at Christ's Hospital Category:Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge Category:English male poets Category:18th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:People from London